There is a desert. It’s desolate. No life can survive here. The heat is so intense that it rises in waves from the Earth, and the horizon line becomes blurred, indistinct, surreal. It is a place where Earth and Heaven seem to meld into one another; but that is only an illusion. They remain, in fact, forever separated. This is Arabia.

Two men stop at a well for water. One is a desert guide, the other an English soldier. They are friends. They chat, and splash and rustle. But, gradually, you become aware of the silence. Aside from the men and their camels, not a creature stirs. It’s unnatural. It is as if you have trespassed on a forbidden land. You feel like something out there is watching and waiting… This land, it’s clear, is not meant for people.

Then, in the distance, a small figure appears. It seems a mere speck emerging from the horizon. Is it a mirage? An illusion? It doesn’t seem real. It is like a creature of the heavens, or perhaps the netherworld, has crossed that boundary that separates the mortal and the immortal. The men pause and stare. Even they are silent now, paralyzed by the approach of this specter. That’s when you hear the dull thud of hooves against the sandy path. This figure is real. He is a man. The Englishman turns to his guide.